Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Have you found him?” Kat asked Bentley as he entered the sitting room where she and Daisy were waiting for word on Samuel.
She’d wanted to go out herself and search for him, but leaving Daisy alone with the Chameleon still on the loose was too dangerous. When Marcus returned, she’d be able to go out, but considering he and Lucas had only just left about ten minutes ago, they’d most likely be a few hours yet.
“No, my lady. We’re still looking for the young lord,” Bentley replied. “But this was hand delivered for you, marked urgent.”
He handed her an envelope.
“Thank you.” She nodded to him as she turned over the envelope, while Bentley departed.
Her fingers froze on the parchment. Across the back of the envelope was a red wax seal with the letter C emblazoned in the middle. With a sense of dread, Kat flicked her finger under the seal and opened the note.
For a minute, everything inside her froze. Her lungs seized up and she couldn’t breathe. Stumbling over to the window, she opened the glass and had to draw in a shuddering breath. Not Samuel. She wanted to shout to the sky and curse everyone and everything.
Anger ripped through her fear, tearing away at it, until fury consumed her. She’d already lost Fenton today, she wasn’t going to lose Samuel or Daisy, too.
“Kaitlyn, what’s wrong?” Daisy had approached her from behind without Kat even knowing.
There was worry in Daisy’s eyes as she stared at Kat, and for a moment Kat contemplated not telling her anything. If she told Daisy that Samuel had been taken, Daisy would panic, but then didn’t the woman have a right to know her son had been taken? What was she to do? Kat couldn’t actually take Daisy and give her to the Chameleon. That would be a death sentence. But then if she didn’t take her with her, Samuel could be killed.
Never had it felt like such crushing decisions were upon her shoulders.
“Kaitlyn, what is it? You’re worrying me.”
It was then Kat realized the only thing she could do was tell Daisy the truth, for if their positions were reversed, it’s what Kat would want Daisy to do. So, she quickly told Daisy everything. How Daisy was on the Chameleon’s list of targets along with five or six others, and how the Chameleon was purporting to have Samuel.
It seemed as if Daisy was going to faint when she heard that, but then she seemed to pull herself together as she stared at Kat. “Why would I be the target of an assassin?”
“Sir Albert thinks it may be because you helped Victor translate some missives before his death, and may have inadvertently read something you shouldn’t have, or you perhaps know something you don’t even know you know. If that makes sense.”
She nodded her head. “Yes, I did help Victor a great deal, though I never really paid attention to the contents of the correspondence, even though I was translating them. But, Kat, what about Samuel?” Daisy’s voice shook when she mentioned her son’s name. “Do you think the Chameleon has him? Perhaps it’s just a bluff…”
It was possible the Chameleon was bluffing about having Samuel, but considering the Chameleon had obviously killed Fenton, he would have had ample opportunity to take Sam from the house, or from the grounds if what the maid had said, about seeing Sam running through them, was true. “Unfortunately, I must assume he has him, Daisy. To not do so would be folly.”
Daisy’s chin began to wobble, but she clamped down on her jaw and stayed silent for a moment as she wrestled for composure. “Then we best make our way to the docks mentioned in the note.”
“I can’t hand you over to the Chameleon, or take you anywhere near there.” Did Daisy not understand? “He intends to kill you. And he most likely intends to kill me and Samuel to protect his identity. I need to work out a plan other than capitulation.”
“There’s no time,” Daisy implored. “It will take us nearly thirty minutes to get to the docks. We have to leave now.”
Daisy was right. “I’ll go, but you will stay here. Bentley?” she called.
The door opened and Bentley marched in. “Yes, my lady?”
She walked over to him and pushed the note into his hands. “Give this to Lord Westwood when he returns, and have the carriage brought around immediately.”
“Of course, my lady.” He bowed and swiftly left the room.
“I’m coming with you.” Daisy’s voice was shaky, but there was a stubbornness in her bearing that Kat knew meant she’d not be deterred. “He’s my son, Kaitlyn. I will do anything to protect him, including dying for him.”
Kat believed her. Daisy had always been a protective mother, to the point of over protection, and the woman would do anything for Samuel.
But, damn it, she wasn’t going to let it come to that. She wasn’t losing more of her family today. And she was going to ensure the Chameleon never put someone else in this position again. “All right. Did Fen—Fenton teach you to use a pistol yet?”
Daisy reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a small derringer. “Yes, and I’ve been carrying it on my person ever since.”
“A good choice.” Daisy was holding a double barrel Remington derringer, an effective little weapon at short range. Kat often carried one in her pocket, finding the two-barrel mechanism, allowing for two bullets, much more efficient that the single barrel Colt derringer. “Is it loaded?”
“Of course,” Daisy scoffed. “Well, partially.”
“Partially?”
“I used it for target practice the other day, but Samuel’s dog was distracting me while I was reloading it, so I only put in one bullet.”
Kat pulled out a small leather pouch from her skirt and retrieved a point forty-one caliber bullet from inside. She took the weapon from Daisy and loaded the empty chamber then handed it back to Daisy. “Always keep a weapon fully loaded. Now, hide this in your pocket. It’s time to go, but listen to me carefully and clearly, Daisy. You must do everything I tell you to. Samuel’s life depends upon it.”
“I understand.” Daisy placed the gun in her pocket and nodded solemnly at Kat. “You’ve got to save him, Kat. You must. He’s all I have.”
To Kat, as well. She’d already lost too much of her family to risk losing her brother too.